Pistol for Grizzly Country

[sophijo]

Cooper and bears

Recently read an article by jeff Cooper re defensive rounds, in which he said something like;" it's not the gun that kills it's the bullet". So assuming the bigger the pistol the better (for Griz); what kind of "round" are we talking about.

 

[Dogbite]

I was born and raised in Alaska, and spent months and months straight in the bush(longest was three solid months), and have had many encounters with big bears.

44 magnum revolver should be the least(power wise) you carry period. Load with Garrett cartridges, (hard-cast bullets). 454 casull or 500 mag is preferred in a sidearm.
I love the 10mm, leave it at home. We used to carry 44 mag with hot loads and a 12 gauge with slugs. Get a small bell for your pack/shoes. When you get close to a bear,if it sees/smells you raise your arms and shout at it. Most of the time they will run off, but if they don't, be ready. They can outrun you easily. They can out walk you easily. Anything you have in you hands will seem small if you run into a real big bear. Keep your eyes open! Be alert! I have had a large bear sneek up on us like a house cat. Be careful.

 

[MCgunner]

I like my .45 colt Blackhawk and hot 300 grain handloads. Ain't any griz anywhere near me, though, and I've not spent any time in griz country. Where I've done most of my outback adventures, the griz were killed off years ago.

 

[GregC]

I knew an old forestry professor that did a lot of research in the NW in his younger years. He says their standard "bear protection" was a short barrel shotgun with bird shot. The theory was that anyone could handle a shotgun and a round or two to the face of the bear would blind the bear and would also cause so much blood in its nose that there was no way it could see or smell you to be able to continue to come after you. At this point the shooter would escape and let someone else worry about finishing off the animal. I know this does not sound humane for the bear, but if it is down to my life or "just" wounding a bear.......it would be an easy choice for me.

 

[Dogbite]

Wounding a bear, and leaving it to come upon some other poor guy in the woods is a very very bad idea. A wounded animal, especially a predator, will even attack people it would not have if its in pain. That's just crazy advice. Not to mention, bird shot has a hard time stopping a man sometimes. It is ridiculous for bear defense. I have personally seen a bear take two 300 win mag rounds-well placed, to stop it. A buddy of mine killed a big bear with three rounds of 30-06, and he was crapping his pants thinking it was not going to go down before it got to him. Hell, I have hunted birds that were not killed with shot and had to be killed by hand once found in the brush.
I don't mean any offence to you at all, its just that the old forestry professor doesn't know anything if that's what he told you. Many fishing guides in Alaska carry a pistol grip 12 gauge with slugs. You have to stop the bear. Break bones, penetrate to vitals, that sort of thing. No one I have ever seen carried bird shot in the bush, except to hunt birds and rabbits, and they always had something else to handle bears.

 

[kd7nqb]

I kinda like the Serbu super shorty for this job. Paired with some good 3in slugs you got a hell of a gun.

 

[Cosmoline]

I have a trimmed-down Puma 92 in .44 Mag that carries lighter than any handgun. It rides in a backpack scabbard and I hardly notice it's there. Big bear-size handguns tend to carry like bricks.

Paired with some good 3in slugs you got a hell of a gun.

Paired with 3" slugs?! That thing!? Ouch ouch ouch. You have to at least have a shoulder stock or you'll get seriously banged up before the bear even gets to you. And from the look of it that would be a felony. So stick with a Mossy or Rem pump with a slug barrel and rifle sights. Load with Brenneke magnums and get ready to rock, because even with a 5 or 6 lb. shotgun those things are bruisers. $300 plus ammo will set you up just fine.

It reminds me of the time I saw a fellow at Rabbit Creek range trying out his new bear gun, a 18" stockless kneecapper. He loaded with the Rottweils and brought it UP TO HIS EYE!! Now I had the devil on one shoulder telling me it's his gun and he needs to learn for himself, but I listened to the better angels of my nature and stopped him. I believe he would have lost that entire eye socket.

 

[Evergreen]

IF I was in grizzly country, I woudl probably carry a .500 Magnum handgun with ported barrel, maybe 5" or 6".. Thats if I was to carry a handgun. Personally, I think I'd carry a lightweight 12 ga shotgun with pistol grip preferably and slugs. Another option may be a 30-06 or even mroe powerful rifle.. However, since bear charges can happen at close distances, a shotgun would be a better bet.

Oh by the way, if you do end up carrying a handgun in grizz country, make sure to file off the front sight, so it doesnt hurt as much when the bear shoves it up your #@*

 

[Redhawk1]

At short distances, most people would never get anything they are carrying up in time to shoot a charging grizzly.

But in my thinking, if you were knocked to the ground, and a grizzly is mauling you, you stand a better chance getting to a handgun that is on your hip than a rifle or shotgun that was knocked out of your hands and is who know where.

Sure a rifle or shotgun would be best, if you had time to prepare for the shot or know you are in a dangerous situation. But not when it happens so quick that you don't have a second to think about it.

But never being in that situation, no one can say how they are going to react in the first place.. We can all talk about it, and say what we would hope we would do, but until that happens it is all speculation...

 

[MCgunner]

Carry a .32. I hear it's all about shot placement.

 

[gmhamilton3]

Matrix, we also do alot of stream fishing in the summer up in Lincoln County primarily the Yaak river and tributarys. This is black and grizzly country so we always carry protection, mostly S & W's. SW M29 is good heavy gun but SW M329 Airlight is amazingly light for 44 mag and is my choice because it is so easy to carry. Recoil is not bad using 44 spl just for shooting paper, 44 mag recoil is a different story but then again its a big bullet in a very light gun. Never needed to use it so far.

 

[ar10]

I saw a bunch of these posts over a long period of time, and I've been up close and personal with a couple of black bears. What I do know is a pissed off bear can do about 25mph and getting hit by a 300lb bear traveling at even 10mph is going to put the victim on the ground. I really don't care what kind of gun or shooter anyone is, shot placement is probably the last thing on a persons mind. you have less than 10 seconds to react, and bears aren't stupid either.

 

[MCgunner]

10 seconds? 10 seconds is an eternity in IDPA. You can shoot a whole scenario in less, depending on the scenario. I don't recall any bear scenarios, though.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

All these bear threads make me think I need one of these:




Sure are heavy though.

 

[Leanwolf]

Yosemite Sam has the right idea!!

L.W.

 

[ArmedBear]

That would give a whole new meaning to "smokey the bear."

 

[ar10]

10 seconds? 10 seconds is an eternity in IDPA. You can shoot a whole scenario in less, depending on the scenario. I don't recall any bear scenarios, though.

Your right, They don't, and I've been in a lot of IDPA matches also. The big difference is you're not shooting at live targets, and the last I heard no animal likes to be shot at. I'm just saying that no matter how big the gun or how accurate the victim is, the bear has the distinct advantage over the victim. In fact I've not heard of one verifiable account that a victim ever came out unhurt in any bear attack. The only cases I have read about where a victim did have some chance are ones where the victim was using the bear spray.

 

[lefteyedom]

A hand grenade wrapped with bacon would work....